Etihad, Alitalia unveil aircraft in Milan

MANILA, Philippines - Alitalia, Italy’s leading carrier, and Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, have unveiled two aircraft in a unique Expo Milano 2015 livery to mark their co-sponsorship of the global event.

Expo 2015 will be held in Milan from May 1, 2015 to Oct. 31, 2015 with an estimated 20 million visitors expected to attend the event of which more than a third will travel to the northern Italian city by air.

The airlines held joint simultaneous events at Malpensa Airport in Milan and Abu Dhabi Airport to unveil the two Airbus A330-200 aircraft, to audiences gathered in both locations as well as thousands watching online around the world.

 The Alitalia A330-200 and the Etihad Airways A330-200, both in the eye-catching special livery, started operating their first flights on Oct. 21, 2014, between Rome and Abu Dhabi, and will carry the Expo 2015 “feeding the planet, energy for life” message worldwide.

James Hogan, president and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “I am delighted to launch the Expo 2015 collaboration with Alitalia in Milan and in Abu Dhabi. From today, these two aircraft, in this eye-catching livery, will spread the important global message of Expo 2015 to people on six continents.

“The co-sponsorship of Expo 2015 is evidence of the growing partnership between Alitalia and Etihad Airways and will play in a key role in bringing the targeted eight million visitors from around the world to Milan.

“I believe Expo 2015 will once again demonstrate the power of travel and tourism to drive growth and stimulate job creation and economic development in Italy.”

Flight frequencies to and from Milan are set to increase during Expo 2015 when Alitalia will commence daily flights between Milan Malpensa and Abu Dhabi. These flights will connect with Etihad Airways’ services throughout the Middle East and with markets in the Indian sub-continent, Southeast Asia, and Africa.